Biocontrol of Verticillium wilt in oilseed rape by chitinolytic Serratia plymuthica

Gabriele Berg, J. Frankowski, H. Bahl

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

Production of chitinases is an operable mechanism in antagonism of bacteria and fungi. Serratia plymuthica C48 was isolated from the rhizosphere of oilseed rape antagonistic to phytopathogenic fungi. S. plymuthica C48 was shown to produce and excrete a set of various chitinases. The chitinolytic system consists of two endochitinases, a chitobiosidase and, at least two N-acetyl-ß-1, 4-D-hexosaminidases including a chitobiase. For the endochitinase with an apparent molecular mass of 65 kDa a high homology to chitinase A from Serratia marcescens by comparison of N-terminal amino acid sequences was discovered. S. plymuthica C48 significantly suppress the growth of the fungus Verticillium longisporum while a chemically constructed chitinase-deficient mutant C48/3Rif r chi-did not exhibit antifungal activity. A decrease of the percentage of diseased plants by root application of wildtype bacteria in greenhouse was shown supporting the important role of cell wall degrading enzymes for antifungal activities.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Tenth International Rapeseed Congress
Publisher.
Publication statusPublished - 1999
EventInternational Rapeseed Congress - Canberra, Australia
Duration: 26 Sept 199929 Sept 1999

Conference

ConferenceInternational Rapeseed Congress
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityCanberra
Period26/09/9929/09/99

Treatment code (Nähere Zuordnung)

  • Experimental

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